Manchester City host Aston Villa in the Premier League at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday night as both sides battle to finish in the Champions League places. Two of the most in-form sides in the league, City and Villa, will be hoping to continue the momentum gathered over the last few weeks.
By Matt Smith
Unai Emery’s side will be hoping to complete a double over City after picking up an impressive 2-1 victory earlier in the season, with Jhon Durán and Morgan Rogers helping defeat Pep Guardiola’s men.
Team news
Phil Foden and Manuel Akanji both returned for City at the weekend, with Guardiola naming the duo on the bench against Everton. Rodri and Nathan Aké remain out, while goalkeeper Ederson was also unavailable at Goodison Park.
Emery has just one injury concern heading to the Etihad, with Pau Torres missing from the squad to face Newcastle on Saturday evening. Leon Bailey and Ross Barkley are both fit and available after their recent fitness troubles.
Man City almost back to their best
Man City are currently unbeaten in their previous six games, with five of those coming in the Premier League. It’s been a disastrous season by their own standards, but they are still in the battle to finish in the Champions League places.
Guardiola’s side have looked impressive going forward as usual, but defensively they’ve struggled this term. City have conceded 43.8 expected goals this campaign, more than the likes of Everton, Chelsea, and Nottingham Forest.
Aston Villa the in-form side in the Premier League
Villa have shown signs of inconsistency this season, perhaps due to their participation in the Champions League, but they’ve been unstoppable in recent weeks domestically. In their last five games in the Premier League, Emery’s side have secured maximum points, scoring 13 times while conceding just two. Champions League qualification looked out of reach for Villa just a few weeks ago, but they are now firmly in the fight to finish in the top five. A win against Man City will see them climb above Guardiola’s men, and they could climb as high as third if results go their way.
Rogers could haunt his former club
Man City may be living to regret offloading some of their stars who have come through the academy, with Cole Palmer an obvious example. Another will be Morgan Rogers, with the English attacker undoubtedly one of the best-performing players in the Premier League this season.
Rogers has provided 16 goals and assists combined in the league this term, an impressive contribution in just his second season of Premier League football. Creating 45 chances, Rogers has been a creative and goalscoring threat in attack for Villa and is a key cog in Emery’s system this campaign.
Prediction
City vs. Villa is a tricky game to call, with both sides in impressive form of late. It’s difficult to see either side failing to score, so we’re going for a 2-2 draw at the Etihad Stadium.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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